Application Of National Competition Policy Reform

Thank you, Councillor. Who should I speak to? Would anyone else like to speak to this? No? Would you like to close, Councillor Joe? No, thank you. All right. We'll put the recommendation to a vote. All in favour? That is unanimous. Thank you. Olinda. Thank you, Pauline. Next item on the agenda is item 2.4, application of national competition policy reform and Pauline. Thank you.

Each year, the financial Council is required to decide whether to apply national competition policy reforms to identified business activities. National competition policy reform provides greater transparency over Council business and assists with removing any anti-competitive conduct and ensures the of council's limited resources. Council has adopted NCP reforms with respect to its waste and holiday park businesses since the amalgamation. The 2023 year Council undertook a review of its other businesses to determine whether or not NCP should apply to those. We considered the community facilities including aquatic centres, Leisure Centre, events, arts and respite centres and cemeteries and whilst these operations generate fees and operate on a partial user pay system they do not necessarily have a full cost recovery or profit making focus and as such we're not seeking to apply NCP principles to those. The digital provides an hub economic focus and while it also does earn income from rental and a partial user pay system it is very heavily reliant on grants and its primary focus is economic development so we're not suggesting to apply NCP policies to that as well. Accordingly we recommended to Council to continue to adopt full cost pricing principles to business management business activities apply the of code competitive conduct to the holiday parks which is consistent with the previous year.

For the Chair, just to add, the thresholds set on the national competition policy are also based on expenditure. So whilst it has a revenue generating focus, the thresholds under the regulation in the act are about how much expenditure occur. Own in terms of its maintenance and operating and lease costs doesn't pick over the threshold. That said, as Council works down a path of revenue diversification, potential future activation of some of its vacant land parcels around the Shire for commercial and industrial purposes. Activity, as a whole, might in future years trigger the threshold and it might be a conversation we bring back in future years to adopt our commercial land holdings as an activity as it may.